Eden Citadel Empowerment Association

I was born in Kingston Jamaica to a single mother. My mother immigrated to the US when I was 4 years old. I never knew my biological father until I was about 29 years old. I was raised with lots of love by my godparents and mom. There are many memories and experiences from my youth that informed my perspective and drove me to my achievements. The main drivers and primary concerns are:

• Faith – trusting the The Lord God Almighty (YHWH) has my best interest at heart 
• Socio-economic disparity 
  • Education
  • Occupation 
  • Employment 
  • Income 
  • Wealth
• Identity
• Legacy
• Territorial domain 

Eden Citadel was divinely birthed in me via a dream. That is how the I Am (God) speaks to me. The main theme of the dream focused on the plight of women and children struggling to survive.

Eden’s Citadel’s mission is: Conquering poverty by overcoming barriers that deny disadvantaged persons access to equitable earnings. We open doors to sustainable personal income in depressed/disadvantaged communities. We educate, equip and empower people living in poverty with tools for self-sufficiency.

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Core beliefs

• Thoughts born of culture, ignorance and fear become the greatest barrier to success and perpetuate the cycle of poverty.
• Women in communities with limited earning power and the primary responsibility for providing for their family are the priority.
• Every approach must be crafted to meet the cultural dynamics of the community (economical, spiritual and social) that result in disparate opportunities for income generation and that provide opportunities for change. Faith-based partnerships are often the most viable means of reaching under-served communities.
• Solutions must be demand-based and sustainable based on the economy and projected job growth within the target community.

What makes Eden Citadel different? Where? Who? How?

The continuum – Eden Citadel provides education, equips businesses and empowers them to operate at an optimal and sustainable level.

E-Market Alliance – Eden Citadel offers an outlet for sales and technical assistance services for products and services of those they help AND the alliance connects vendors as part of the supply chain needs of one another. These cooperative strategies will allow for a bartering system that allows emerging businesses to access a network of services needed to launch, grow and succeed. It may also include a “credit-based economy” between participants and donors.

A focus on indexing and market analytics to ensure micro-enterprise development is done within the context of local and global market trends, with an understanding of dynamics that impact supply and demand for specific trades and consumer products/services. All micro- enterprises are benchmarked within their industry sector.

The locations chosen meet a particular profile that allows the model to work. The model requires:

• Community demand (high need, low opportunity location with limited access to economic growth areas without direct assistance; the community is not served by another micro-enterprise provider)
• A local partner agency that can provide the site, leadership and community networking needed.

Eden Citadel’s leadership and business training program encompasses the following curriculum:

1. The Council of 12
2. The Transformer’s Network
3. The Ambassadors’ Court